At the same time, there have been strenuous efforts to empower communities
through decentralization of political and administrative roles through the Panchayati
Raj institutions, and give them legal entitlements on a broad range of issues, to
employment, food, education and of course the individual and community forest
rights of traditional forest dwellers through the Forest Rights Act 2006. The forest
service itself, although a rule-bound and rather authoritarian force of uniformed
officers, that has traditionally seen its main role as protecting the forests from the
people living around it, has developed mechanisms to work with the communities
through the Joint Forest management Committees (JFMCs). These measures appear
to have gone a long way in meeting the global objectives agreed at the UN Forum
of Forests (UNFF), 2006, such as reversing loss of forest cover, enhancing economic, social and environmental benefits, and increasing the area under protection
and sustainable forest management (SFM).
Any REDD scheme would therefore be, but a minor augmentation over and
above these targets and instruments, and is likely to be nothing more than a token
gesture of support to the international UNFCCC community and perhaps a display
piece for the private sector. Indeed, according to the Second National
Communication (NATCOM) of the environment ministry (Government of India
2012), there would seem to be little scope for REDD-type interventions in India,
because forests are reported to be contributing very little to GHGs: just as an
illustration, for 2007, of the total country levels of CO 2 emissions (1,476,357 Gg, or
million tonnes) and removals (275,358 Gg), forest contributed only 87,840 Gg to
emissions and 67,800 Gg to removals, leaving a minuscule net addition, nowhere
near the 20 % contribution worldwide of GHG from forest degradation which is the
basic assumption of the REDD strategy.
In any case, as already suggested by this author (Dilip Kumar 2014a, b, c), it
does not appear that India is being viewed as a major destination for aid in the
sphere of REDD or REDD Plus; indeed, as a major contributor to the carbon
emissions as well as a major player in the climate mitigation and adaptation sphere
(including afforestation and landscape restoration), India may have to get used to
thinking and acting as a provider, rather than a recipient, of aid.
4 Sustainable Development as a Self-Imposed Precaution
Even though we may not agree to curb our carbon emissions at present levels at the
urging of the developed countries, it is still to be recognized that each developing
country should undertake conservation and sustainable utilization of its natural
resources as a matter of common sense and abundant precaution in its own long
term interests, and not necessarily because it feels under pressure in the world
climate conferences.
36
P.J. Dilip Kumar
through decentralization of political and administrative roles through the Panchayati
Raj institutions, and give them legal entitlements on a broad range of issues, to
employment, food, education and of course the individual and community forest
rights of traditional forest dwellers through the Forest Rights Act 2006. The forest
service itself, although a rule-bound and rather authoritarian force of uniformed
officers, that has traditionally seen its main role as protecting the forests from the
people living around it, has developed mechanisms to work with the communities
through the Joint Forest management Committees (JFMCs). These measures appear
to have gone a long way in meeting the global objectives agreed at the UN Forum
of Forests (UNFF), 2006, such as reversing loss of forest cover, enhancing economic, social and environmental benefits, and increasing the area under protection
and sustainable forest management (SFM).
Any REDD scheme would therefore be, but a minor augmentation over and
above these targets and instruments, and is likely to be nothing more than a token
gesture of support to the international UNFCCC community and perhaps a display
piece for the private sector. Indeed, according to the Second National
Communication (NATCOM) of the environment ministry (Government of India
2012), there would seem to be little scope for REDD-type interventions in India,
because forests are reported to be contributing very little to GHGs: just as an
illustration, for 2007, of the total country levels of CO 2 emissions (1,476,357 Gg, or
million tonnes) and removals (275,358 Gg), forest contributed only 87,840 Gg to
emissions and 67,800 Gg to removals, leaving a minuscule net addition, nowhere
near the 20 % contribution worldwide of GHG from forest degradation which is the
basic assumption of the REDD strategy.
In any case, as already suggested by this author (Dilip Kumar 2014a, b, c), it
does not appear that India is being viewed as a major destination for aid in the
sphere of REDD or REDD Plus; indeed, as a major contributor to the carbon
emissions as well as a major player in the climate mitigation and adaptation sphere
(including afforestation and landscape restoration), India may have to get used to
thinking and acting as a provider, rather than a recipient, of aid.
4 Sustainable Development as a Self-Imposed Precaution
Even though we may not agree to curb our carbon emissions at present levels at the
urging of the developed countries, it is still to be recognized that each developing
country should undertake conservation and sustainable utilization of its natural
resources as a matter of common sense and abundant precaution in its own long
term interests, and not necessarily because it feels under pressure in the world
climate conferences.
36
P.J. Dilip Kumar